#thank you smaller productions for bringing such a fun energy and personal connection to the stage

[cam-stopped-eating-candles]

Hello very vague post but if you think it’s funny to relentlessly shit on smaller productions and mock their vocals and tech details you can (respectfully) unfollow me because your content and sense of humor is not welcome here <3

[caramelcal]

And yet, I still love you. [mgc]

DAY ONE OF MY 500 FOLLOWER CELEBRATION I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE EXCITED

i wrote this fully and it deleted and i had to start over. what a great start lol

also you can thank my friend for the plot idea. legend :) so saucy 

“The worst part of all of this is that I still love you.’‘

You can find the completed 30 day prompt list here. ANYWAY, ON WITH THE FIC

Wedding bells had never been sourer. In fact, they hadn’t even been rung yet. It was the day before the wedding, and people were currently still scarce, and right now Daisy wanted to be too. In fact, all she wanted at this time was to be away from these people, especially the people that the event was for. She knew this was going to be the worst weekend of her life, no doubt about it.

Everyone who was there had smiles on their face that made Daisy believe that their mouths would split open. Some grins were so wide that they were borderline creepy, and people, overall, were buzzing with excitement. In fact, Daisy seemed to be the only one who wasn’t. Instead, she was trying her best just to survive the weekend without bursting into tears, which hadn’t been completely successful yet. In fact, she saw the venue and burst into tears in her car.

Her eyes were strained on them, seeing everyone that surrounded them bursting with happiness and giving them all their attention. Maybe it was selfish, but Daisy just wished someone would check up on her. They knew about her past with him, but none of them cared.

Be happy Daisy, stop being selfish.

Why don’t you want your sister to be happy?

Her sister stood tall, shoulders straight with that wide smile on her face. The one that made everyone swoon, the one that won him over. Her perfect hair fell over her shoulder, clothes without a single crease, makeup was flawlessly done. Yet, Daisy couldn’t find herself to be happy for the couple, not after everything, even if it was her own sister.

It was the first time that Daisy had laid eyes on him since he left her there, alone, in the street. It was pouring, wind soaring harshly through the air and hitting Daisy in the face, just like his words had done only seconds before. He left her there, screaming, crying, sobbing, wailing. She remembered falling to the ground, clothes soaked from the puddles beneath her but she didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything anymore.

She had lost him; the one thing she felt security with. A neighbor had pulled her off of the road so that she didn’t get run down but Daisy couldn’t even find it in herself to care. That pain had been hidden deep beneath the surface, it had taken her months but she had managed to suppress it nonetheless, but the news of their engagement, only brought back those feelings.

Her ex-boyfriend was getting engaged to her sister. Her oh-so-perfect sister, the favorite child, cousin, friend.

He was so different now, even if it had only been nine months. They didn’t take long to plan their wedding, it happens only three months after their announcement. He has blonde hair now, his once colorful and youthful hair he sported now replaced. Amber had always liked everything proper; professional. The goofy and fun grin he had worn was gone now too, replaced with a slight upturn on his lips. His tattoos are hidden beneath the button-up he wore, something that Michael had professed his hatred for in the past to Daisy.

That wasn’t the only thing he lied about hating.

She should have seen it coming. Her sister was successful, high up in the production industry with a lot of good connections. She had a good social life and a good face to match. Daisy couldn’t compete, she never was able to, especially not with her bottom-chain journalism job and three friends to her name.

The feelings don’t go away and with each passing moment, Daisy wants to be swallowed whole by the ground beneath her and to never resurface. Yet, it only gets worse when green eyes meet onto his.

She walks out of the room, but he’s quick to follow.

What is it with him and trying to make things worse for her? Is he trying to make her cry? It’s surely what she feels like when he grabs her wrist, yanking her back lightly so she can’t continue forward on her journey to go as far away as possible. Her breathing feels restricted and she freezes in her place, scared to even breathe out from where she’s stood.

Her back is still turned to him, but she knows exactly who it is. His touch still feels electric to her, despite all the pain he’s caused, and he smells exactly the same, only...classier. She’s scared to even entertain the thought but when she smells him she knows exactly what she thinks. Home.

“Daisy,” The sound of her name coming from his tongue almost sets her on a downward spiral as she slowly turns around, yanking her wrist away from him. His voice, although soft, isn’t from guilt, from cheating on her, from all the pain. No. It’s pity.

“Michael,” Her voice almost breaks when she talks, looking up at the familiar eyes of someone she had previously believed to be her soulmate. It brings back so much emotion for her, and she knows he can see it. He’s always been able to read her well.

“Listen, I’m getting married tomorrow,” He starts and all Daisy can think is ‘thanks for the reminder, dickhead’, “I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I wanna start over when we become brother and sister-in-law.”

“Wrong foot?”

When Daisy repeated the words that came out of Michael’s mouth, Michael involuntarily cringed slightly. He knew it was more than that, and from the bitterness in her tone, he knew she wasn’t happy with the words either, “Okay maybe that was the wrong choice of words-”

“No Michael, you can’t sit there and act as if I’m holding a petty grudge against you,” Daisy’s finger jabbed into Michael’s chest harshly, but he didn’t budge. He knew she was angry, staring at her as she spoke with anger burning in her green eyes, “You cheated on me with my fucking sister.”

Michael winced, “Daisy, listen-”

“Mike, darling?” A soft voice cut Michael off this time, instead of Daisy’s clipped and cold one. Both of them turned their head to see that Michael’s mother had peaked her head around the corner, “They’re ready to order another round of drinks.”

The woman hadn’t seen Daisy yet, Michael’s large figure covering her completely from view from the woman until she came closer. Her eyebrows were knitted together, seeing the guilty and tense expression that Michael held on his face. She had put up with Michael for twenty-odd years, she knew how to read her son well.

Swallowing thickly, her eyes catch onto the smaller frame behind him, green eyes raw with tears, making her frown. The woman doesn’t even speak, giving her son a curt nod as she joins gazes with him once again before sauntering back around the corner and down the corridor to join everyone else.

“I trusted you,” Daisy’s heartbroken hushed whisper sounds as soon as his mom turns the corner, causing Michael to whip around to face her again, “I ranted to you, I told you how I felt bad compared to her. She was always the favorite, praised like a god and you were the one person that I could go to and feel like I was enough. You comforted me and told me she was a stuck-up bitch. But what were you doing? You were fucking her when I wasn’t there. In our bed no less so don’t go telling me we got off on a bad foot-”

“Daisy lets go somewhere more private-”

He didn’t want people to hear, that much was obvious. Maybe he was ashamed for what he had done for her, wanted to keep it secret for that reason. Or maybe he was trying to protect his own reputation; his and his fiancés. He didn’t want to break the perfect couple façade that the two had going on. Reaching out for the smaller girl, he goes to guide her further away from the function, but as soon as his fingers grazed her arm she harshly yanked her hand away. It was as if his touch burned her skin as if he was repulsive to her. Her green eyes glared at him with such thick anger that it made him sad, he truly had fucked her over and he knew that.

“So no one can hear?” A bitter laugh escapes her lips, “They don’t care about me, no one here does. ‘Be happy for your sister, Daisy. Don’t be selfish’ where was that energy when she fucked my boyfriend?”

“People here care about you, Daisy.”

“Like who, Michael? Who?

“Me.”

Another humorless laugh escapes the girl’s lips, and she barely ever realizes the tears silently escaping her cloudy eyes, “You don’t hurt people you care about, Michael. And you certainly don’t cheat on them with their siblings.”

Silence surrounded them. He couldn’t explain himself. He loved daisy, truly, with every fiber of his being but Amber was better for his reputation, she knew top producers, people that could get him and the boys good deals. Was that really worth giving Daisy up for? For a chance of fame and success?

“You know she had everything,” Daisy started bitterly, catching onto Michael’s eyes once more, “You were the one thing, the one thing I had that she didn’t. But I didn’t even have you.”

Her voice ended off into a whisper, almost to stop her from completely breaking down and keeping that tiny piece of dignity that she had left. He knew exactly how she felt, he remembered him crying to her, asking why she wasn’t good enough for anyone. He remembered her crying, asking why her parents -and the rest of her family- loved Amber more than her.

He had tried to dismiss the thought that they loved one child any less than the other but when he was introduced to the family as Amber’s boyfriend instead of Daisy’s, he experienced it first hand. It was sickening, how much more they cared for him when he was Amber’s boyfriend, even after they knew everything the two had done behind Daisy’s back. She didn’t deserve that.

Bitterly, she laughed once more, head ducked to the ground and hands still curled into fists limply at her sides. Her head softly hit against the wall, forehead leaning against it with her eyes scrunched closed, “and the worst part of this is that I still love you.”

He barely heard it, a self-deprecating murmur leaving her lips but he did. His eyes widened, and something inside him seemed to snap as he stomped over to him, despite only being a few steps away. Forcefully, he took her head in his hands, fingers underneath her chin, and pointing it up to his face.

And then he kissed her.

It looked like they’d be in for a hell of a weekend.

[skookworks]

Gallery: 2019 Daily Sketches 121-150

Another thirty of last year’s Daily Half Hour Sketches, now in one handy gallery.

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Story Seed #52 A Stone in the River

Most crime fighters and/or superheroes are reactive. Mostly they take action after a crime has been committed either to bring villains to justice or, on the more antihero side, get revenge for the victims. There are a few stories of characters or organizations that stop crimes before they occur, they catch criminals before they can become criminals, they punish the guilty before they can be guilty of a crime. Usually the organizations manage this by either having members with precognitive abilities or computers with the same abilities. Eunice Stone can’t see the future. She simply knows how to read people. If she spends enough time around someone she’ll be able to predict how that person is likely to react in any situation.

She doesn’t see good or bad people. Eunice sees life as a game. She sees human beings as mostly unaware entities trapped in massive systems, reacting to outside stimuli and stuck in lives that, too often, spiral further out of control. So, as a child, Eunice set out, not to fix the systems – she knew that was too big a task – but to redirect the people who are trapped in them. A suggestion here. A secret favor there. Redirecting an angry man’s attention at someone who deserves his wrath rather than the family he’s been taking it out on. Showing the unrepentant thief better targets than his neighbors.

Eunice becomes a fixer. The smarter and more aware people around her, both criminals and legitimate businesspeople, notice what she does and try to enlist her in improving their situations. And she does. Mostly to the advantage of everyone in a situation. She makes connections. She points out solutions. She goes around her clients selfish desires and finds points them at satisfying ends. Eunice knows that there is always a win win scenario.

And for those who refuse to play her way? Those who can only win by making someone lose? Eunice will take them out of the game.

Recommendation

The Kickstarter for Growing Up / Overnight ends on the 30th. Please support this project! Thank you!

Local News

Life at the Post Office has been tiring. Last week was my Long Week, six days in a row, every day with overtime. There are a lot of carriers on vacation at the moment so a lot of routes need coverage. I volunteer for a desired route at the beginning of my shift in order to avoid being mandated to carry a route I don’t particularly like. This will make for a larger paycheck but currently I’m only noticing a more tired body.

I’ve read the news about the Postmaster General’s sabotage of USPS. I haven’t noticed any unique new problems. Upper management is doing more micromanaging but they do that every few months anyway so, if I hadn’t been hearing about the new PMG, I’d just assume regular management stupidity. Being a letter carrier is a job. I’m past the point of feeling any particular loyalty to a job. Jobs don’t love the people who do them and upper management in most businesses will make decisions that poorly affect the people who have to follow the new directives. If upper management consulted the workers before implementing a new procedure that would be unusual.

So I do my best to put my emotional and creative energy into activities where I can have some fun and some control. This last week Sarah has been good at reminding me to get some drawing in after work, regardless of how tired I am. Just 15 minutes can improve my mood.

In the mornings I generally do computer work. Photoshop. Writing here. I have now have two online stores. One at Zazzle. Another at Redbubble.

The first week that I was putting together my Zazzle store I made a lot of products. Unfortunately they didn’t all become publically available quickly. My first 29 items appeared promptly enough. Then, from Saturday to Thursday, nothing loaded. I looked at the Zazzle forums and checked with customer service and got that slow load times during busy periods could be expected. By Wednesday I was feeling a bit itchy so I decided to check out the other POD sites that I’d seen recommended.

I started setting up a store at Redbubble. I’d only set up a profile but not loaded any art when Zazzle’s public links resolved and the 50 products I’d been waiting on became available. So I continued making stuff at Zazzle. I decided to just make one or two things a day. Partly so that they’d load in a timely fashion and partly so I would spend some time figuring out best marketing practices. And I got a commission to do illustrations for an RPG supplement about pirates.

Redbubble is persistent though. I got emails reminding me to finish setting up my store. So, what the hell, I figured I might as well have two stores, one Zazzler, one Redbubbler. Zazzle had been recommended as a general, less focussed site, Redbubble as an artist focused site. There’s definitely a difference between them.

With Zazzle, you choose a product – a cup, a t-shirt, a puzzle – upload an image and match it to the product. With Redbubble you start by uploading an image and the site helpfully puts it on EVERYTHING. For a few of their products that means you have to do some repositioning to make the image look good. Most of the time the fit is great. Zazzle seems to be the best platform for smaller images, the sort of things that I’ve been putting on cups and mugs. Redbubble seems to be a better platform for larger, more complicated images. So those are good reasons to maintain two stores.

Zazzle provides code that lets me post individual items or collections to this website or other social media sites. That’s cool.

Nasty Women Rise

by Skookworks

Redbubble lets me put a sample store onto this website. Check it out – new RBExternalPortfolio('www.redbubble.com', 'skookworks', 4, 4).renderIframe();

Thank you for dropping by. I hope that your week provides you with more happy moments than otherwise. Look out for each other. See you next week!

Tuesday Night Party Club #33 Gallery: 2019 Daily Sketches 121-150 Another thirty of last year's Daily Half Hour Sketches, now in one handy gallery.

[katsutomos]

hello, i’m kosmo (she/her) and i’m v excited to be here hehehe! thank u for having me! ;; also i didn’t realise that both kosmo and tomo end the with the same letters & now i wanna d*e but oh well pls ignore that! (: anyw, i’m here introduce TOMO!! there’s probably some stuff i left out here but it ended up having a word count of almost 2.5k so i’m just going to stop myself while i’m ahead! i’ll finish off my stats & bio pages soon and then i’ll try to think up some plots but here’s all this for now!

(tw: suicide mention, brief drug mentions)

BASIC STATS

NAME / tomo katsumura; his full name is tomohiko but nobody calls him that except his mum & grandparents like literally everybody else knows him as tomo NICKNAMES / technically, tomo IS a nickname but he’s so used it that not using a nickname with him is :knife emoji: -- also katsutomo but that one’s more of fan-title-nickname rather than one he actually uses (as much as he came up with it himself tweeting it out like ‘you guys can call me katsutomo from now on if you like ^^’ before changing all his handles to that exact name). other than that, he’s a bit iffy about nicknames. he likes them if HE came up with them but giving him a nickname is usually Yikes City (unless he decides it’s cute and lets u do it, i guess) AGE & DOB / twenty-three & 6th november 1995 BIRTHPLACE / LA, USA ETHNICITY / japanese OCCUPATION / actor! he dabbles in modelling but it’s more of an ‘i got asked to model this thing bc i’m famous and they’re paying me (:’ type deal than it being something he’s actually personally into. whereas acting is his PASSION.

EARLY LIFE

to start with, let’s talk about his parents; his dad, born and raised in america, was an actor who eventually made a move into directing but ultimately committed suicide at age 38 & his mother, born and raised in japan, is a socialite who had started off as a teen idol in the 80s. his parents had also divorced when tomo was still young, a few years before his dad’s death, so he uses his mother’s surname. tomo does not get on with her but, thanks to the sense of guilt she’s raised into him, he can’t bring himself to cut her out of his life completely. 

basically, she’s got hang ups about the way her idol career ended so she kind of pushed tomo into the spotlight (which was fine for him because he wanted to act) but she grew envious of him after he got out of his teens and doesn’t like the decisions he makes. it’s a mutual issue. they mostly don’t get on because they can’t see eye to eye or really speak to each other at length without arguing.

his mum actually wanted him to break into acting when he was about nine because he’d already taken an interest in it by then. because her career had ended early, she took the approach of ‘he won’t be cute forever, what if we wait too long and he loses his chance?’ but his father, who had his own issues with the industry, strongly disagreed. this disagreement was one small contributing factor for their divorce; they had plenty of other issues as well but this didn’t help. their compromise was that tomo could wait until he was in his teens and this deal was mostly held up because tomo thought it was wrong to break a promise with a dead guy.

to be clear though, he’d probably have issues with his dad too if he were still alive (and he’s not exactly super fond of him as it is; he doesn’t hate him but he doesn’t like being asked about being his son). he was kind of a shit husband and, if it weren’t for the fact he didn’t see tomo as often as he’d like, he’d probably be a pretty distant father as well. his work was pretty much his main priority and he had a lot of personal issues that he took out on other people.

tomo grew up in LA for the most part but also spent a lot of time in japan, mostly jumping between osaka, where his mother’s family lived, and tokyo, where his mother’s friends and connections & his father’s extended family lived. the family stopped travelling quite as much after his father’s death and tomo’s reaching high school age. he grew up bilingual.

CAREER

he started acting professional when he was 16, mostly with a few smaller tv roles but he had good connections and was able to get a small but still substantial role in the film directed by a friend of his dad. his big break came at age 18 when he landed a leaded a role in the main cast of high school drama. it was exciting at first, being on tv and being famous, but he hated both the show and his character so the whole thing got tired fast. he wasn’t allowed to quick so he went out of his way to get himself fired. there’s a whole story behind that but i’ll leave that for the bio hehehe! (he wanted his character to get killed off bc he thought it’d be fun to act out but they wouldn’t let him do that ): boooo)

one of his biggest issues with the tv show was that he didn’t like being sold as a product / character that wasn’t anything like him. he hated being shown off as this squeaky clean teen heartthrob type and not being allowed to have his own emotions & tastes. he found it mentally exhausting and, since then, he’s had a lot of issues dealing with the contrast between how he is as a person and how he’s seen by the media. he tries not to admit it but he’s terrified of being swallowed up by what other people think of of him and losing track of himself in the process. it’s made him a little paranoid.

since then, he’s avoided tv as much as possible. he prefers working on films in general but he finds the idea of playing the same character for too long incredibly unappealing. he enjoys taking on new roles and absorbing himself in that character & sometimes to the point of bordering on obsession so playing the same role not only plays into his fears of people seeing him as someone he’s not (i.e; whatever character it is) but he’s also scared of seeing HIMSELF the wrong way. he needs the separation.

tomo likes working on indie films or more artistic/niche studio films most of all. the promotion cycle isn’t as intensive and the characters tend to appeal to him more. he has appeared in a few blockbuster-type films but mostly because his bosses have pushed him into it or he’s had to taken on a multiple film contract with a studio in order to land a role he really wanted. (he once got int trouble for calling his own character in a blockbuster a ‘dumb bitch’ on twitter)

the bratpack article had a pretty heavy impact on him. it kinda just spoke to all of his worst fears of not really being a Real Person or being Sold A Certain Way. he wanted to get away from it without having to actually stop working because it’s the one thing that really keeps him stable. his eventual means of escape was a role in a japanese film. he’s been living in japan since then, having moved there to specifically hunt out a film to work on, to get used to the japanese industry/prepare himself and then get to filming. he’s come to milan straight from tokyo, not having seen any of the other brats in person during that time, but he’s had time to relax. sort of. 

PERSONALITY

for the most part, tomo’s a friendly and energetic guy! (living up to his name a lil bit here bc tomo can mean ‘friend’ in japanese hehehe) when he’s at his best, he’s great company. he likes to stand out in a crowd, has a winning smile and enjoys a little bit of attention but also knows when to step back and look out for other people. he likes to play as hard as he works. the trouble is that, when things aren’t going well and he’s distressed, he tends to collapse in on himself. behaviour that seemed playful before looks straight up stupid and reckless instead. he’ll avoid attention but get frustrated because he craves it and do more reckless shit for attention. yet he’s pretty good at pretending shit’s fine, he’s still weirdly positive for a guy who feels all messed up — maybe he gets away with it because he’s a good actor. tomo has good days and bad days but there’s little warning as to which is which. it wasn’t always this way; it’s like something has broken his spirit. (i copied this from my app but asdghgsdf)

that’s why his archetype is The Contradiction,,,bc he doesn’t make any fuckin sense, woooeee! he’s this very bouncy, upbeat person and he likes having fun but he’s not really a very positive person in terms of outlook. he’s too high energy! his general vibe is everything’s going to shit but i’m going to have a good time anyway :D

actually, on that note...he IS :D

he doesn’t like crying in front of people which is rough bc he’s v emotional all the time. he’s a total crybaby when he’s drunk. if you drink with him, there WILL be a point at which you have to scoop him up off the floor because he’s found something over which to start weeping. OR he’ll end up calling you to panic about how he can’t find his way home, only for him to realise like 5 minutes later he’s phoning you from the steps outside his apartment building.

the kind of guy who can have a full-on breakdown in his room by himself and then just reappear & ask u if u wanna go for ice cream or smth bc he’s bored. like ok that’s done with, that already happened. it’s over.

anyw he’s always willing to give ppl advice if they’re feeling stuck. it’s not always great advice bc he’s basically shit at dealing with stuff himself. he’s not one of these ppl who gives great advice but can’t follow it himself, he’s more...he gives advice bc he’d feel bad if he didn’t TRY so the advice itself definitely varies in quality. he means well though.

don’t watch funny films with him because he will do one of either things; 1) not find it funny and sit through the whole thing like : | or 2) he’ll find it so funny that he’ll end up on the floor at some point. there’s no in between. it’s all or nothing with this fucker.

he really likes cute shit. he’s rich so there’s nothing stopping him from buying those overpriced limited edition hello kitty goods.

let’s not talk about how he enjoys acting bc it’s an escape where he can be Somebody Else but he can’t cope with himself being promoted as something that doesn’t feel like Tomo. that’s its own mess. i’m p sure he’d just unravel if anybody said anything about it.

OTHER STUFF

his hair is currently bright red. it’s a recent change but he was like ‘uhhhh if i’m going on this trip, i’m making a visual statement’ and that was that. he likes to go for more interesting colours when he’s not filming anything because it’s the only time he really gets to. i mean, he still has dyed hair in a lot of his films but it’ll usually be brown or blonde or something else more ‘realistic’.

tomo cares a LOT about the way he dresses and styles himself. he’ll probably complain if he has to do a promo/magazine shoot and he doesn’t like the outfit he’s been given. it doesn’t actually help him half the time and he just gets told to shut up but it’s the PRINCIPLE of it !!!!!!!!

he posts on his finsta probably way too often but that’s because his public social media is pretty filtered, given that he’s caused fusses on social media before. there have been multiple cases of him having to delete tweets and instagram posts because somebody in charge decided he was pushing the limit just a little too much and, granted, most of it wouldn’t be seen as risky (bc it’s mostly utterly pointless stuff that gets flagged up as risky, e.g; ‘i need to pee and i can’t find a bathroom. death is coming for me.’) if he hadn’t publicly complained about the tv show that made him famous several times on twitter but he did do that so, y’know, he’s seen as a liability. the unfortunate outcome of this is that his finsta story is often littered with fairly inane thoughts.

he’s not very good at watching himself in films. it depends on the film and he can do it but uhhhh let’s just say he once watched the one horror film he was in at the cinema (and didn’t like most of it bc he’s a wuss about that sort of thing) but he laughed during his own death scene. there were tears in his eyes. real tears.

he doesn’t like dating because...well, he likes the IDEA of it but he’s the type to really fall for someone and BASICALLY? he’s scared of being dumped! he’s a bright & appealing personality with just enough edge to balance it out but he’s a bit of an emotional screwball and getting people interested is easier than keeping them interested, leading to mixed experiences with dating so he’s settled for sleeping around a little instead. oh well, whatever works! (does it actually work? shhhh it’s a secret...)

he’s very much involved in the party scene, whatever country he’s in. it’s not something he talks about much (privately, i mean, bc DUH he doesn’t say it publicly) but he doesn’t exactly avoid drugs in anyway (code for...yeah, he’s done stuff). it’s all casual, he says, but he still does it. he does smoke cigarettes though and he’s a little dependent on that.

also i guess he got involved in that kinda thing deliberately because he wants to distance himself from the clean-cut, shiny heartthrob pretty boy image as much as possible. eventually, it just became a natural way of de-stressing and dealing with the constant frustration of his career. the unfortunate consequence of that is that he’s now got a bit of a Bad Boy/Wild Child image and he’s not entirely sure he likes that either. (the shift in image also means that some journalists will talk about him as though he’s ‘gone off the rails’ and, yeah, he hates that as well)

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/intuitive-astrology-may-new-moon-2019/

Intuitive Astrology: May New Moon 2019

Intuitive Astrology: May New Moon 2019

By Tanaaz

May is a slower paced month that beckons us to reflect and assess the quality of our lives and to think about the direction we are heading in. This energy is further amplified on May 4th with the New Moon in the sign of Taurus.

Under the darkness of this New Moon, we are going to be encouraged to review our day to day routine to see where we can create more love, more joy, and more support.

May’s New Moon is also going to be inspiring us to create some healthy habits, especially when it comes to our diet and exercise routine. In fact, if you are looking to start a new diet or exercise plan, the New Moon brings perfect energy in support of this.

Even if you don’t have any plans in mind, eating better, meditating, exercising, fresh air, and focusing on gratitude are all great things to add to your routine in order to evoke more peace and more balance.

Creating balance has definitely been a theme in the Universe over the last few months and this New Moon also adds to this energy. This New Moon will be guiding us to create healthy habits and to balance work and play.

Work fills us with purpose. It helps us to thrive, make money, and feel that we are adding to society. Work allows us to create good habits, a strong routine, and keeps us grounded.

Play however, is doing things just for the fun of it! Play helps to ignite our creativity, our passions, and allows us to let loose. Play is the stuff that we do that allows us to break away from our routine and to step into silliness and joy.

By allowing and giving ourselves time to play, it can help fuel us at work, and can also inspire our passions and purpose.

If you are feeling lost, if you are feeling stifled or that your routine has become too predictable, the perfect prescription is play! And under the energy of this New Moon, you will be supported and encouraged to bring play into your routine with greater ease.

Play can mean a lot of things, and there is definitely no one size fits all solution. Play can be turning the music on and dancing around the house, doing a fun craft, volunteering, building or making something, it can even be reading a trashy romance novel!

Play is just doing something for the fun of it and for the enjoyment of it, whatever that may look like for you.

By bringing more play into your routine, it can help to lighten the energy of your life. It can help to ignite a sense of wonder, awe, and curiosity. Play can help to freshen the energy of your life and bring in a new sense of purpose and clarity.

While this New Moon is supporting us to balance work and play and make healthier lifestyle choices, it also reminds us to stop comparing our lives with others.

When we start thinking about the positive changes we can make in our lives, we have to be mindful they don’t come from a feeling of not being good enough or are rooted in what we think we should be doing.

While it is great to be inspired by others and to be motivated by the habits and lifestyle choices of others, we have to remember who we are as an individual, and not get caught up in trying to use other people as a signpost for our own lives.

The most important thing is that we are happy with our choices and the way our life looks and feels on its own. When we begin comparing our life to others, it can make us feel that we are doing something wrong or that we should be doing something different.

Keep this mind when moving through the energy of this New Moon. By all means, create healthy, new, and refreshing habits but do so because they make sense to you!

Try your best to not compare and instead look at your life through your own eyes.

This is your life, and you are free to live it how you choose. You do not have to follow the tried and true path. You do not have to feel behind or left out just because your life looks different.

If you can look around and be happy with what you see and feel, then that is all that matters. And if you can’t, and if you see things you want to change, know that you always have the power to begin right now.

The first step with bringing positive change into your life is to focus on building up more of the good stuff rather than getting bogged down in what is not working.

While you may need to let something go or take affirmative action, very often, the more we focus on gratitude and finding joy in the small moments, the more our life starts to take shape.

Be grateful for the smaller, more precious moments that greet you throughout the day, like that first sip of coffee in the morning, or the pink clouds at sunset, or the wagging tail of your furry friend.

Don’t get caught up in only chasing grand moments and thinking your life has to be a string of big successes. Instead, focus on finding joy in the simpler things.

Focus on the small stuff, find gratitude and play in the small stuff, and by focusing your attention here, this is how you begin to create a peaceful and balanced life.

New Moons always bring new beginnings so if you feel like you need a fresh start or a fresh approach, ask to be guided, watch for the signs, and see what inspiration greets you under the influence of this beautiful Taurus Moon.

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[kronieknits]

How The Spaces Students Are Living In Affect Their Well-Being And How Textiles Can Improve These Environments (pt3)

How Design, especially Textiles, can help

Design is so important, it is so intrinsically linked with modern day life that the effects of it are largely unconscious or subconscious and can go completely unnoticed. Design keeps us engaged with others and allows us to effortlessly navigate our way through our physical and digital worlds. Literally everything man made will have started out as an idea or drawing - the phone you’re scrolling through, the shoes you’re walking in, the toothbrush you use - and was brought into reality by designers. Design is a mechanism used to elevate human experience, it is what first helped early humans to survive, and is now what helps us to thrive and encourages us to explore and experiment.

Design can be split into two categories – Solution Driven Design and Artistic Design (Medicine Man, 2017). Solution Driven Design can be thought of as creative problem solving, it is human centred and focuses on a deep understanding of what the target market really wants from a product or service. An example of this could be the chair you are sitting on; Is it comfortable? Is it sturdy? Does it promote good sitting posture? These questions are attributes to how well the chair has been designed and if it satisfies the consumer’s needs. Artistic design on the other hand, does not relate so much to what the target market is asking for, but what the target market didn’t know they wanted. Artistic design delves into aesthetics, it is expressive, evocative, abstracted and exciting. This is when the designer is thinking about how the chair looks instead of how it works. Is the chair colourful, stylish, vintage, modern, bold, understated, conventional? Is the material it’s made of soft or durable? Does it work well aesthetically within the room it’s in? Good design is when both Solution Driven Design and Artistic Design come together to create a product which meets the functionality requirements of the consumer and is also aesthetically pleasing.

Textiles is a huge part of the design world which can also be taken for granted. Humans are relatively fragile beings that require a lot of help from other sources and materials to survive. Instead of sharp teeth or claws for hunting we designed guns and farms, instead of having wings and feathers for flying we designed plains and trains and instead of thick coats of fur or hydrophobic skin for surviving the elements, we designed textiles. Textiles are used for an outstanding range of aspects within modern day life, such as protection, - against rough surfaces, weather, disease – safety, - such as high visibility clothing and bullet proof vests – sanitation, - such as bed sheets, hair covers, aprons – decoration, - such as wall hangings, wall paper, rugs, cushions – and of course, clothing. However, one of textiles most important attributes to today’s society is the power it has over our well-being.

Interior textiles and clothing are especially important and helpful when it comes to our mental well-being. Textile designers of wall paper, bedding, rugs, cushions and so on are literally designing with the thought of raising the happiness of a room in mind, hoping that what they can make is aesthetically pleasing enough to change people’s emotions. Lucienne Day is one of the most influential British textile designers of the 50’s and 60’s whose massive portfolio of work does exactly this. After the bleakness of WW2 was finally coming to an end and the restrictions on art and design work were being lifted, Day capitalised on her pre-existing relationships with manufacturing clients and began producing modern, fresh, fun textiles. Very receptive clientele loved her work which breathed life back into their homes and represented a new, positive start for their society. Both Lucienne and her husband, Robin Day, were extremely talented, ambitious designers who had a passion for and a committed vision of the life-changing potential design could have on people’s lives.

After a string of prosperous contracts with clientele in 1951, Day created Calyx, a seminal piece of post-war textiles which pathed the way for modern, abstracted design. Calyxwas radical for the time and was a huge leap from what was considered acceptable and traditional design at the time, but was eventually and thankfully accepted by commissioners. The design which resembles young flowers blooming in a fun and quirky style embodied the emanation of energy and new growth which is exactly what the post-war society needed in their lives and in their homes.

Despite Day’s rising fame within the design world, she was still conscious of designing with everyone in mind. She wanted her work to be accessible for people in smaller homes with smaller price margins so was more than willing to embrace new man-made materials, such as rayon, which were cheaper to source and to print with. Day designed Flotilla, a similar print as Calyx but for people “who like Calyx but have smaller windows and purses.” (MacCarthy, 2010)Thanks to this, Day truly was one of the founders of modern conceptual design whose work embodies playful energy and inspires many other designers and artists even to this day.

Internationally celebrated Irish designer, Orla Kiely, is another designer whose work is fun and energetic and oozes an essence of upbeat well-being. One of her exhibitions at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London, ‘A Life in Pattern’ was set out to showcase the “power of decoration to transform the way we feel” (Orla Kiely, A Life In Pattern, 2018)and her striking, mid-century, modern aesthetic, retro-graphic interpretations of nature prints surely do this.  

A couple more examples of textiles which you cannot help but feel happy when seeing are Diane Bresson’s simple yet bold prints which combine traditional screen printing with modern advanced techniques. Colour is essential in the 2018 Colour in Design Award Winner’s work which pieces together lines and dots with blocks of exuberant solid colour in elemental shapes, creating innovative interaction which plays with the eyes and is a joy to look at. Mhairi Abbas is an award-winning, Dundee based knitted textiles designer who is known for her luxury contemporary accessories. She takes inspiration from her home in the Shetlands creating atmospheric pieces with an essence of the outdoors combining pops of composed colour that emit cosiness and warmth along with her perfectly hand dyed, re-wound and then re-knitted gradient yarn.

 Textiles truly can bring a room to life and turn a cold, bland, unwelcoming space into a cosy nook of warmth and comfort. Textiles gives us the ability to transform a space into one we are proud of and love being in and having one of these safe spaces is so important for our well-being. The aesthetics and textures within a room are what allow us to feel a personal attachment to the space, and along with some plants and some hyggelig candles then the stress of the day can just slip away for the evening while you snuggle into your blankets with a cup of tea. Indigenous Peruvian weaver, Nilda Callanaupa Alvarez, said “I have learned that each and every piece of cloth embodies the spirit, skill, and personal history of an individual weaver. It ties together with an endless thread the emotional life of my people.” (Alvarez, n.d.)Alvarez shows how the power of textiles and design and the physical creation of fabrics can bring people together, tell a story and be a welcoming feature within a space.

All design can be life-changing, not just textiles. Design in general really can promote people’s well-being, it is what allows the world to change and evolve and to always be exciting. Design is the solution to almost any problem and I believe it has the power to change the world. Hopefully students and young adults can help themselves by giving their living spaces some TLC through the power of Hygge. As Louisa Thomsen Brits wrote in her book ‘The Book of Hygge: The Danish art of living well’, “Hygge is about having less, enjoying more; the pleasure of simply being. It is generous and celebratory, a way to remember the importance of the simple act of living itself.” (Brits, 2016)And this is the most important point of them all, the simple act of living, being able to enjoy the little things and enjoy the moment, putting our phones down and connecting with the world, even if just for a few moments, allows us to feel more content and ready to handle not only the day, but life itself too. Modern life can be harsh and demanding, especially with changing climates, economic uncertainty, homelessness and food bank use sky rocketing, on-going wars, and on top of that all, exams and deadlines, having our own safe spaces should be a mandatory way of getting away from it all for a little while and enjoying some self-care. If we can make the act of taking care of our bodies and minds as easy as possible by creating nurturing environments to live in, then why not go all out and really build a space that promotes pure positivity. Mastering the art of Hygge and using it as a way of life while still young and at university can set you up for a life time of living in comfortable and cosy spaces, so why not use the Hygge manifesto list to get out there and find the things that are going to make you love your bedroom, love being in it and hopefully love yourself. Hopefully people can realise the importance of design and what it has to offer the world and take advantage of its possibilities.

[paintingonrock101-blog]

Casablanca, Morocco Rock Painting Ideas

Rock paint events are so much enjoyable as well as truthfully, I'm uncertain the youngsters are going to despise any of these concepts. Because any type of smaller sized as well as younger youngsters have a truly tough time trying to repaint styles on them (unless they use our preferred rock painting pens), I claim this. Find out exactly how to repaint rocks and also discover the most effective rock paint ideas for youngsters with the awesome ideas and also rock paint suggestions for youngsters below. The premise is straightforward: Gather a few supplies (flat, paintable rocks, acrylic paint, sealer, paint brushes), decorate your rock-- obtaining as imaginative as you like-- and secure it. As soon as it's discovered, compose guidelines on the bottom of the rock that inform the finder which Facebook group to publish an image to.

Following an overview of how to collect and also prepare your rocks, along with a fundamental evaluation of the materials as well as devices required for each project, 3 gifted rock-painting musicians show a series of contemporary designs including patterns, pets, mandalas, as well as more. I'm a big follower of making points very easy, so I got the bags I mentioned (for support bags) and also the youngsters got to take house the bag, the musician palette, as well as their repainted rocks. I would not establish this up as a rock paint celebration activity with young children, yet it could be fun to have the whole team play together. Bright tinted acrylic paints are extremely suitable when painting rocks. After you're performed with paint your rock, you need to secure it. You can use a sealant and paint extra coats to ensure that your art will certainly last for a long period of time.

"I repainted as a means to kind of take my mind off the storm as well as relax a little bit," claimed Justiniano, that after that published photos of her repainted rocks on Facebook and also was told by a pal concerning rock paint teams.

If you're painting your rock all 1 base color before you start on your larger style, paint 1 side, then let it dry. For more motivation, we have actually added a couple of links to some stunning, creative, and also fun ways to repaint rocks that we have found as well as tried considering that the first time my little girl and I repainted rocks with each other. Optional-Paint a solitary shade acrylic base layer on each rock you will be paint and enable to dry.

If you're part of the rock paint community in your location, you can additionally conceal your rocks in nearby parks and also public locations so other individuals can locate them! Painting on rocks is a truly fun method to spend a mid-day with children, elders or simply a team of pals.

Unless the all-natural shade of your rock will certainly become part of your design, start by painting your rock with an undercoat, such as white, black or grey. I enjoy this collection of brushes Even though they claim they are for watercolors, I have actually discovered they are the very best brushes for paint rocks with acrylic paint. Hop on board the most up to date fad in craft - the super-fun art of rock paint designs!After going out of print a number of years earlier, Painting on Rocks for Children is set up to be launched in a changed version with even more enjoyable as well as exciting tasks for children (of every ages- even grownup ones!) It will certainly include twice as numerous projects as well as lots of new ideas and strategies, so remain tuned. Organized by county, town or state, the teams commonly stem on Facebook, gathering neighborhood participants that desire to take part the fun of paint rocks, hiding rocks and also hunting for rocks painted by others. Thanks for this neat consider paint rocks/stones with every one of the fun instances. I am an artist so I enjoy laying out as well as painting yet I have never ever repainted on rocks I need to do this.

I repaint numerous rocks at one time, so I am able to work in cycles and also save time contrasted to working on one rock at a time.I truly enjoy paint on rocks.

Thinking About Going Camping? Take A Look At This

Regardless if you are unfamiliar with camping or perhaps an old pro, there are several things you can learn about camping. Camping is one of those experiences where one can always learn a new challenge. Therefore, this post is healthy--it includes information and ways to create your camping experience great.

Prior to the sun sets if you are camping, search out shelter. Once it gets dark outside, finding out how to put together a tent, finding wood and making food can get impossible. This really is especially the case for city slickers who are unaccustomed to darkness. Avoid this case by finding shelter ahead of the moon is out.

Get everyone involved in picking a campsite. Discuss which state you will most like to visit. The options are plenty, so seek information! You can pick a few places to achieve the family vote on to really make it easier.

Always take a fully stocked first-aid kit once you venture out on a camping trip. You may come up with your own kit with bandages, gauze pads,tweezers and scissors, anti bacteria cream and antiseptic wipes inside a sturdy container. You can even buy one of the numerous excellent ready-made kits to save time.

Prior to starting out on that relaxing camping trip, it is important to your safety to ensure permit someone know you will be going. Give you a friend or neighbor the name in the campsite if you use one. Should you be headed out on a less structured trip, give your contact a general idea of what your location is headed along with a timeline for the return. If something fails, you will find anyone to know where to search for you.

Consider purchasing inexpensive walkie-talkies to take in your next camping trip to supply a approach to communicate with everyone in your party in locations where cell phone reception may not be available. In case you are camping with children and need to record their whereabouts, this can be especially important.

Consider camping inside an area that also gives you a location to swim. You might long for any good shower when you are camping. You will find yourself feeling refreshed and clean after a dip in cool water. This can lesson the need for your house shower.

When going camping, attempt to buy non-perishable items to eat. You will find no refrigerators within the wild, so all you bring needs to be stored in good order. You are able to certainly bring a cooler to get food in, although the cooler will be added bulk on your own trip. Therefore, make an attempt to bring more non-perishable foods than perishable.

When it is time to get to sleep, it is advisable to put the coolers that you just brought along into the vehicle. Bears are becoming quite savvy today and possess determined these particular coolers usually carry food products which will attract these people to your campsite.

It may be beneficial to pitch your tent on a piece of land that may be level. This will likely ensure you sleep better, so that you could have more energy for the following day. Make sure that your head is tilted uphill when you have to sleep with an incline.

View your kids closely. They could also encounter cars that enter into the campsite, though not only will your children get lost. Things happen rapidly plus your kids needs to be supervised.

When you're finished camping and ready to go home, you ought to get after yourself. Keeping nature clean and preserved can allow future campers to take pleasure from it too. Before leaving, clear any messes, you've made at your site and attempt your greatest to go out of nature while you originally thought it was.

It's also really enjoyable, though camping is tough work. Once you determine what you're doing, the rewards are wide ranging. You get to experience nature along with the outdoors picnics are usually fun, and you get a opportunity to sleep underneath the stars. Nothing can beat some of the experiences you may have camping.

Prepare yourself when you get lost on a camping trip. You have to know utilizing acompass and map, and GPS device before leaving for the trip. You should also keep these in your person throughout your trip. These products can assist you get back quickly and safely should you stray past the boundary from the campsite.

When you have other individuals sleeping nearby your campsite, will not bother them by leave your awning lights on during the entire night. Instead, use a timer that you can set to transform the lights off following a certain period of time. You won't bother others with the lights, by doing this.

If cooking will not be your strong suit, and you wish to keep things simple camping, look for a local military surplus store and look for MRE's. Meals Ready to Eat are freeze dried foods that frequently just require water for preparation. These could even be consumed without cooking when you wanting a fairly easy meal and never looking for great taste.

Don't believe that camping close to the bathroom facilities is a good idea. While it may be convenient, it could also be annoying. While you can use the bathroom area for lighting, furthermore, it is an attraction point for many people. Consequently, campers that pitch their tents near communal campsite bathrooms have neither the benefit nor the comfort they could possibly have expected.

For simple and fast lantern hanging, take along a wire hanger on the next camping trip! Simply bend it into an "S" shape when you are prepared to settle in on your site, and hook the handle from your lantern on. The flexible hanger enables for sturdy positioning at a safe level.

The array of those who enjoy camping is surprisingly diverse. The normal link that connects all experienced, skilled campers is advanced amount of knowledge on the topic. Heed the advice inside the piece above, and you may join the ranks of seasoned campers who discover the experience being among the most effective in the world.

https://urbancreativist.com/easy-rock-painting-ideas/ flag rock painting ideas

Sound Advice To The Camper In Training

Camping might be a spiritual experience, as campers interact with the wilderness around them. If camping can be something that you should do, then you should have an idea what to do as well as a way of understanding it. This informative article may help you possess a great trip. Read more about this here.

An effective multi-purpose tool should be a part of your camping gear. The two main kinds to take. First, is the saw/hammer/axe 3-in-1 tool for firewood and other chores. Other will be the standard multi-purpose tool with many different tools on it just like a can tweezers, opener and scissors and a knife.

Get everyone involved with deciding on a campsite. Discuss which state you would most want to visit. The alternatives are plenty, so do your homework! You can choose a few places to get the family vote on making it easier.

Prior to deciding to bring your pet dog along for the camping trip, get him employed to the idea with a little practice run inside the outdoor area. Pitch the tent within an already familiar area, and allow him to sleep or play inside for some time. Bringing a pet dog really can increase the fun of camping, as long as the animal has become adequately prepared for the big event.

Consider purchasing inexpensive walkie-talkies to take with you on your next camping trip to provide a way to connect with everyone inside your party in locations where cellphone reception might not be available. This may be especially important if you are camping with children and want to monitor their whereabouts.

Be sure you pack a camera. There are many memories you're gonna want to capture in your camping trip. Take along a compact camera that may fit in the bank. Make an effort to pack something durable which could stand getting dropped or being a bit wet. Consider using a disposable camera.

Usually do not take whatever belongs by nature together with you whenever you leave. Have some fun and take pictures, but when you are loading the car, be sure rocks, pinecones as well as other objects remain where they are. This is probably the unspoken rules of camping. Everyone ought to have similar ability to enjoy these matters.

A camping trip provides fun experiences or dangerous experiences. That you will experience depends upon your level of preparation. Prepare ahead of time to avoid the downfalls of camping. Specifically if you are camping in a new location, spend some time to research the wildlife,plants and geography, and climate of your area.

Make sure that the cooler you take along is air tight. You do not would like food to spoil as the cooler was allowing the cool air to have out. Store your cooler within a shaded area where the sun will never work against it. This could save your food as well as your stomach.

Bugs and mosquitoes really are a common camping annoyance. You might invest in a commercial repellent with chemicals, but an effective natural way to keep bugs out of your body is by using an orange peel. Rub the inside the peel on the legs and arms. This really is a inexpensive, responsible way to repel annoying pests.

Choose your campsite carefully. The location by which you're camping can make all the difference. Prior to you making any plans, do lots of research. Just what is the weather like? Does the campsite have specific rules? How crowded will the campsite be? Poor planning will make for a miserable camping experience.

In the event you haven't camped before, then now is not the time to start as being a hermit. Ask a skilled friend to complement you and also show you the ropes. As you be more advanced in the hobby you could start to consider small and then larger trips alone and obtain your hermitude on.

Make sure that you know tips to get campfire burning before you head out in to the woods. In case you have difficulties getting a fire started, try to find fire starting supplies to take with you. These supplies ensure it is easy for nearly someone to start up a fire on the spot.

One smart thing to create along camping is duct tape. It possesses a multitude of uses of campers, equally as it does for homeowners. You might seal an air leak within your mattress. You might patch a hole or tear in your sleeping bag, tarp or tent. Place it on your feet to stop blisters if you're intending on having a long hike. You may also apply it to bandage injuries.

Do not bother them by leave your awning lights on through the entire night if you have others sleeping nearby your campsite. Instead, utilize a timer that you could set to turn the lights off right after a certain period of time. You won't bother others with your lights, using this method.

If you're outside in cold weather, keep warm by putting on layered clothing. Not simply, can adding more layers get you to warmer, but you can actually remove layers if the temperature rises later. Multiple layer's trap heat in the middle each piece, which will keep you from losing heat. Try bringing thermal coats, gloves, underwear, sweaters and turtlenecks and boots on your trip.

Do your packing deliberately and intelligently. Create a supply checklist for your personal trip and check off each item as it's being packed. Especially in case your camping trip will require you to a remote area that will not provide usage of food, shelter or emergency supplies, though this tip is definitely important.

Bring a compass so do you know what direction to visit in all the time. If you neglect to bring a compass, you can definitely find yourself lost. Allow yourself a feeling of peace, bring a compass so that you are always headed in the right direction and have the security of knowing what to do.

Now you have a good idea on how to arrange for your camping trip, start planning and packing. Explore the wonders that nature provides anyone to enjoy. Make your camera ready! You will desire to capture as many memories as you possibly can on your own next camping excursion.

[czugwrite]

Particles and Waves: The Light of the Giving Keys

Published article for The Yellow Co.’s monthly member magazine. 

(Photo credit: The Yellow Co.)

For many years, scientists believed that light was a wave. It bounced and behaved with the personality of a singular ocean wave, and was independently characterized as such. But then, with closer observation, we noticed that sometimes, light surprised us. Sometimes it came and went, danced and disappeared. We had to realize there was more going on. As we learned, we saw light is also a teeming cloud of tiny particles. And a wave. We realized that, in fact, light moves and behaves as two very different things -- simultaneously. And the more we studied the brilliance of light, seemingly simple to access and appreciate, the more of a miracle it became.

For some, from afar, the GIving Keys is just light: “Creating employment for people transitioning out of homelessness.”  Bright, beautiful, and easy to comprehend. It’s a key on a string. A powerful wave of do-gooders.  Another lovely social enterprise shining truth, goodness and hope into the darkness of our world. And to say this of the Giving Keys is by no means an underestimation. What began as a creative side-venture from the mind of Caitlyn Crosby, the merch table of key necklaces quickly grew into a booming company with over 70 employees, with products carried in hundreds of upscale department stores. And along with all the cultural success, the Giving Keys has also assisted dozens of individuals in moving beyond homelessness, by providing them steady employment.

But what happens when you zoom in? When you examine that light on a smaller scale? You see it’s more than just a big, wave-like movement. It’s also many tiny particles, and demonstrates a rich, deep, miraculous complexity. Every day, The Giving Keys generates light, but it does so by bringing together very different groups of people, from different backgrounds, and putting them side by side in a daily working environment. And together, they illuminate lives by eliminating homelessness.

One sunny morning in Los Angeles, I was privileged enough to witness some of this happen.  I got to meet with several sweet souls at the Giving Keys headquarters, in order to better understand this magical mashup of diverse working professionals.

And like the duality of light, what I encountered there was miraculous.

(Photo credit: The Giving Keys)

An air of openness and strength greeted me at the door of their large, organized warehouse. Its worn, practical surfaces were accented with clean, monochrome design. Textured farmhouse tables and black communal desks rested side by side. It was a charming sensory overload, from the zesty ‘80s playlist, to the chiming of necklace chains, to the fingers tap-tapping away -- some upon keyboards, some upon actual keys. It had the energy of something like Santa’s workshop, if he were a millennial jewelry maker. It was that magical.

Even more than the aesthetics and the music, however, what really caught my attention were the people. Looking around the room, before I said a word to anyone, I could sense their culture of creativity and kindness. At first glance, their unity made everyone appear similar, like one a harmonious force of production. Particles and waves.

But as I stepped back and truly considered the people I was looking at, I was able to realize just how different they all were -- in every way! They were a rainbow of color, a spectrum of ages, a hodge-podge of human beings. Like the jewelry they were making, the place sparkled with stark diversity.

Wide-eyed and in love, I fought to stifle my glee as I shook hands with two glowing Giving Keys employees, Ashley and Pa. Ashley, fair and dainty, reminded me of a most sincere cheerleading captain, with her bright smile and pretty pin-stripe dress. Pa rocked a colorful baseball cap and Giving Keys choker, and  towered over her like a sequoia.  We settled into the company’s lovely refurbished Airstream, and enjoyed a discussion about their experiences related to our theme, “Come Together.”

Sitting side by side, Pa and Ashley couldn’t have been more profoundly different. And yet, their joy was the same. This is some of our conversation.

Ashley, who works in marketing, discovered the Giving Keys while hunting for a unique gift for a friend. Intrigued by the company’s message on the packaging, her passion for non-profit work led her to pursue a position there. Pa, now a production associate, found his way to the Giving Keys while on his journey out of homelessness. He left his home in West Africa, worked his way through the program at LA’s Union Rescue mission, and eventually became eligible for a job interview. This summer, both Ashley and Pa hit their one-year mark with the Giving Keys.

As the two sat, laughed and chatted together, the heart of the company beat loudly before me. I realized these were more than just two individuals employed by the same company. They were colleagues, authentic and caring -- true examples of two different people, working together for good.

Pa shared a bit of his story first. explaining how his work at the Giving Keys has shaped him so far.  “No matter where I came from, all the types of stuff I been through, they accept me for who I am. And I am very grateful for that.” He paused, almost reflective. “ I thank God, and I pray for this place every day. The Giving Keys, they help change lives.”

The gratefulness that Pa recounted also stirred Ashley to affirm the community element at their office. “But when we talk about who’s serving who, it’s literally a question,” she entreated with passion. “It’s not whether one population is serving another -- there is no line like that that exists here, it’s very much an all-together community, with all of us learning from one another. “

Particles and waves. We explored this idea further, unlikely individuals coming together to help sell and make key necklaces, of all things. I asked them about the challenges of working in an environment where they may be hesitant or afraid at first  to connect with someone so unlike them.

“I’m not really open; if I don’t know you, I close up, “ Pa laughed. A totally normal human reaction, and probably the reason why most people struggle to form new acquaintances -- even in a working environment where people are more externally similar!

“It’s not necessarily we want to run from people who are different from us, but how do I  relate to someone who is so different from me?,” Ashley sincerely posited. “What do I say to that person? How do you communicate on an equal level without sounding weird or awkward, or not cool?”

“Or offending them!” Paul laughed again.

He went on to reveal how opening up to people finally occurs for him. “Once I start talking, and knowing who [someone is],  I just want to embrace them and say, hey, like, you came from a dark, dark, dark time in life, like...” He searched for words. “I thought I had the biggest problems before I came here. But working with people who come from different sorts of backgrounds, experiences in life, from all types of problems -- [they’re] just like mine. Maybe little different, but they have beat them, overcome them, and they landed right here, next to me.”

Pensive and appreciative, Pa went on. “It’s like God was just telling me something all along, and I wasn’t listening. Then he put me in a place where I could see it all and feel it all. It’s weird.”

Ashley nodded. “We all look at our own pasts, and not all of us have experienced homelessness, but we have experienced rough things. I think at the end of the day, even though everyone comes from such a unique past and unique differences, we’re all excited to have a sense of belonging somewhere, and a sense of value to what we’re doing on a day to day...It would be a worse case scenario if we had to split our production warehouse and our admin into different buildings.”

She explained a little more about the environment of the warehouse, how it is working alongside various experience levels and personalities. “Having that kind of diversity in experience allows us to move at a quick pace, and have innovative ideas...It can make it challenging, but there’s such a culture here about accepting who we are in the present and not who we are in the past. Because in this present moment, we all want to be together. What any of us did in our past or the paths we came from [is] just part of our story, but not part of our existence.”

Pa echoed her sentiment. “We just have fun in here, and do the best we can. To change our lives, and change other people’s lives with what we do. I love what we do.”

Listening to the two of them share, my curiosity bubbled over, wondering how other other companies or organizations might be able to implement this beautiful model of the Giving Keys. “It can be a challenge at first,” Ashley noted. “But if your leadership team is behind it, and makes it a priority to work and continue to figure it out,  having that vision can be enough to create a space where it can feel more open and connected and more community oriented.”

Later, I had a chance to meet with Tina, a transitioning employee who currently works in customer service. She’s a tender, loving soul with dancing eyes. Her warmth was disarming.

She told me a story about coming to Los Angeles with no money and no plan. “I had a pretty good idea that I was gonna end up homeless when I got here...But [I thought], whatever it takes to get on my feet, I’m doing it on my own. I was scared, but I stuck it out.” She later discovered Chrysalis, the organization that partners with the Giving Keys to assist and prepare homeless individuals for job interviews and upward movement. “I worked their program for a couple of months, and finally got an interview at the Giving Keys.”

Tina worked in production for some time, even earning a promotion, before applying for her current customer service role.  “I had never done that kind of work, but they saw that I had it in me to learn the skill. They gave me that opportunity and I’m doin’ it, and doin’ it well!” She laughed goodnaturedly, and, again, I couldn’t help but note her infectious joy.

I asked if the Giving Keys’ diverse environment ever felt like a challenge for her. “I don’t see [working here] as a challenge, I see it as an opportunity to get to know people from different backgrounds. It’s an opportunity for me to learn. My department that I work in, I’m old enough to be all of their mothers. But they’re so cool... [My kids] are not here in LA with me, so the opportunity for me to bond with that age here at the GIving Keys is a mothering experience.”

“You don’t have that fear of being judged or treated  differently for expressing your individual view. It’s taken in, respected, and you’re moving on. You think it’d be awkward, but it’s not. Everything is very welcoming, and very comfortable here,” she added.

We sat for a few more moments outside, and a light summer breeze drifted between us. It had only been a day, and even I myself, a writer and an outsider, felt at home there.

As I was leaving, I caught one last glimpse of Ashley and Pa. I noticed the white key around her neck read ‘TRUST’ and the small silver one around his, ‘DREAM.’ Walking back to my car, I reflected on these words.

The light created by the Giving Keys transcends all people, colors, ages, and backgrounds. The simple key on a chain can pair with any outfit, dressed up or down, male, female, or anything in between. The different people working there, with their colorful backgrounds, weave a tapestry of diversity there that is beautiful and unique. But even after listening to all of their stories, I was still so mystified by this duality of people and cultures at the company. Particles and waves.

Maybe that’s the thing about light. The more you study it, the more it’s a mystery. And that’s ok.

[unorthodoxcarguy-blog]

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[rolandogapud-blog1]

Understanding Business Development – Rolando Gapud

Business Development is a mysterious title for a little discussed function or department in most larger companies. It’s also a great way for an entrepreneur or small business to have fun, create value and make money.

Good business development allows businesses to profit by doing something that is tangential to their core mission. Sometimes the profit is so good, it becomes part of their core mission, other times it supports the brand and sometimes it just makes money. And often it’s a little guy who can be flexible enough to make things happen.

Examples:

Starbucks licenses their name to a maker of ice cream and generates millions in royalties.

A rack jobber like Handleman does a deal with a mass marketer like K Mart. K Mart gives them room in the store to sell records and gets a cut, Handleman does all the work.

AOL buys AIM instant messaging software and integrates it into their service.

Years ago, I licensed the rights to Isaac Asimov’s Robot novels from a business development person at his publisher and turned the books into a VCR murder mystery game which I licensed to a business development person at Kodak, a company that was experimenting with becoming a publisher. (Isaac made more from this project than he did from many of his books).

Best Buy offers extended warranties on appliances you buy. They don’t provide the warranty, of course, a business development person did a deal with an insurance/service company to do it and they share the profit.

The Princeton Review built a huge test prep business, but only by licensing their brand to a series of books which did the lion’s share of their marketing for them.

You don’t see business development from the outside, particularly all the potential deals that fail along the way. Many companies, though, spend millions of dollars a year looking for deals and then discovering that they pay off many times over. Others, particularly smaller competitors, are so focused on their core business that it never occurs to them to consider partnerships, licensing, publishing, acquisition and other arrangements that might change everything. Harley Davidson probably makes more money on business development than they make on motorcycles.

Ronaldo Gapud says that,

The thing that makes business development fascinating is that the best deals have never been done before. There’s no template, no cookie cutter grind it out approach to making it work. This is why most organizations are so astonishingly bad at it. They don’t have the confidence to make decisions or believe they have the ability to make mistakes.

Think about the Apple Nike partnership on making a device that integrates your iPod with your sneakers. This took years and cost millions of dollars to develop. Most companies would just flee, giving up long before a deal was done and a product was shipped.

Here are some tactical tips on how to do business development better Given by Ronaldo Gapud

Process first, ideas second. If you’re going to be bringing new partners and new ideas into your organization, you need a process to do it. Professionals don’t, “know it when I see it.” Instead, professionals think about the abilities of their company and strategies necessary to bring ideas in, refine them and launch them. Great business development people don’t waste time in endless meetings with random vendors or hassle about tiny details up front. Instead, they have an agenda and a project manager’s understanding of what it means to get things done. They don’t keep the process a secret, either. They share it with anyone who wants to know. Someone needs to say, “here’s how we do things around here,” and then they have to tell the truth.

Who decides? Because every great business development project is different, it’s incredibly easy to get stuck on who can say yes (of course, everyone can say no). Professional business development people intentionally limit the number of people who are allowed to weigh in and are clear to themselves and their potential partners about exactly who can (and must) give the go ahead. Don’t bother starting a business development deal unless you know in advance who must say yes.

Courtship, negotiation and marriage. Every deal has three parts, and keeping them straight is essential. During the courtship phase, you win when you are respectful, diligent, enthusiastic, engaging, outgoing, and relentless in your search to make a connection. Do your homework, research people’s backgrounds, learn about their kids, visit them–don’t make them visit you. Look people in the eye, ask hard but engaging questions, you know the drill. Basically, treat people as you’d like to be treated, because the people you most want to work with have a choice, and they may just not pick you. Hint: if you skip the courtship part, the other two stages probably won’t come up.

Buyer and seller. If you’ve ever pitched a product or service to a business, you know how soul-deadening it can be. The buyer works hard to make it clear that she’s doing you a favor, and you need every dog and every pony available at all times (and you better be the cheapest). But business development doesn’t have this dichotomy. Both sides are buying, both sides are selling, right? So talented business development people never act like jaded buyers, arms folded, demanding this and that. Instead, from the start, they seek out partners.

Enthusiasm is underrated. Business development people are exploring the unknown. That means that there’s more than cash on the table, there’s bravery and initiative and excitement. The best business development people I’ve ever worked with are able to capture the energy in the room and amplify it. They’ll build on the ideas being presented, not make them smaller.

Close the open door. I regularly hear from readers who are frustrated because a big company wasn’t willing to hear a great idea they mailed in. Here’s the thing: there isn’t a shortage of ideas. There’s a shortage of execution. That means that successful business development teams look for proven partners and organizations with momentum. A key part of that is the decision to say no early and quickly and respectfully to people who don’t meet that threshold.

Call the lawyers later. A business development deal that never happens is one that’s sure to cause no problems. While the legal clarity you need is important, there’s plenty of data that shows that ten page NDA agreements and onerous contracts early in the process don’t protect you, they merely waste your time and energy.

Cast a wider net. The Allen and Co. annual gathering is a dumb place to choose a merger partner. Limiting the number of potential partners to people you’ve met at a trade show is also silly. Business development (when it works) creates huge value for both sides, so better to be proactive in searching out and soliciting the organizations that can make a difference. Here’s a simple way to widen your net: start a blog and go to conferences to speak. Describe your successful business development projects to date and let the world know you’re looking for more of them. How many amazing partnerships could the Apple store launch? How many great books could Starbucks highlight? Not only don’t they do this, they hide. Don’t hide.

Talk to the receptionist. This is huge, and so important. When a great partner shows up at your doorstep, do you know? Here’s a test: call your organization (pretending to be from some respected organization), describe a business development opportunity and ask who can help. If you’re not immediately transferred to your office, you’ve failed, right? Make it easy for the right people to know that you’re the right guy.

Hire better. How do you decide who to put in this job? I’d argue that glibness and charisma aren’t as important as strategic thinking, project management and humility.

Structure deals with the expectation of success. The only real reason to do business development deals is because when they work they’re so powerful. Andrew Tobias put his name on a piece of software that ended up earning him millions of dollars. It’s easy to get hung up on all the bad things that could happen, but keep your focus on how the world looks when you get it right.

End well. Most of the time, even good business development deals fall down before the end of the negotiation process. If a deal doesn’t come together, say so. Acknowledge what went wrong, thank the other party and end well. If it does come together, track the integration and stay involved enough to learn from what works and what doesn’t. I’m still waiting to hear from people who said they’d get back to me “tomorrow” fifteen years ago, but I’m losing hope… Ending well not only teaches you how to do better next time, but it keeps doors open for when you need to come back to someone who you should have done a deal with in the first place.

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